You’re probably here reading this article because let me guess, you’ve tried microwaving your leftover McDonald’s fries to heat them up, only to be left with sad and limp-looking fries with an oily aftertaste?
What if I told you, you were doing it wrong? There’s a trick to bringing your mcdonald’s french fries back to life in the microwave.
Keep on reading because, in this article, I will be teaching you several neat ways to reheat your mcdonald’s french fries in a microwave (and a few other bonus microwave-free methods) to get your fries’ crunchiness back.
Now you don’t have to feel sad when you are forced to toss out leftover mcdonalds french fries just because they aren’t able to retain their crispness.
Yes! now enjoy your McDonald’s (or any other favorite fast food joint) fries with their original crunchiness even after the day you order them, and no, it does not involve buying new mcdonald’s french fries.
Can you microwave McDonald’s fries?
Definitely! You can microwave your McDonald’s fries if you want to reheat them once again. It is a fast and easy process, but it may not give you the crunchy or crispy texture that it had when it was freshly served to you.
If you are someone who doesn’t mind or may even actually enjoy soft fries, then microwaving your McDonald’s fries can give you the results you are looking for. In reality, reheating using the microwave will, more often than not, give your fries a soggy and dry texture.
However, if you really want your McDonald’s fries to get their signature crisp back and you only have your microwave with you, then some extra steps can be done to try to achieve this. The result may not be equally as similar to freshly cooked fries, but it might pass your standards for a good McDonald’s fry.
Is it safe to microwave McDonald’s fries?
It is perfectly safe to microwave your McDonald’s fries. It is safer to microwave McDonald’s french fries for reheating compared to doing the same thing with soups, coffee, or even fruit. This is because you don’t need to worry about your fries exploding or spilling inside the microwave.
Of course, you still need to do it properly. You don’t want your McDonald’s fries to simply be reheated in the microwave. What you want is to have a fry that you can enjoy so we definitely should aim to make it look, taste, and feel like those you just bought at the restaurant or cooked at home.
You May Also Be Interested In: Can you Microwave McDonalds Wrappers? Everything You MUST Know
How to Microwave McDonald’s fries?
If you wish to use a microwave to bring your stale and limp french fries back to their crunchy glory, you would need to use a microwave crisper.
It’s the only way a microwave alone can bring back the crispiness of french fries.
Once you have a crisper, the rest of the reheating method is pretty straightforward.
- Give the mcdonald’s french fries a light coating of oil
- Place the leftover fries on a paper towel and then place the towel on the crisper pan.
- Microwave for 1-3 minutes in 20-second intervals until you feel all the french fries have changed from evil step-sisters to cinderella aka limp to crisp.
Can I Still Use the Microwave Even If I Don’t Have a Crisper Pan?
Since a microwave crisper is a specialized tool, it might not be multifunctional in the kitchen. But if you frequently use your microwave for reheating fried fast food then it’s something you should consider buying.
However, if you aren’t convinced enough to buy one yet, but would still like to experiment with reheating your McDonald’s french fries in the microwave then you could try substituting a paper towel/ parchment paper underneath your french fries to absorb the oil.
However, be warned results may vary greatly.
Best Way to Use a Microwave to Reheat McDonald’s fries:
Are you still up for the challenge then? Alrighty then, here’s what we need to do:
- Take the french fries out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature if possible.
- Add more moisture with oil. While this may seem counterintuitive, you only need to add a tiny bit more oil before microwaving them on high heat.
This will ensure that the french fries start to crisp up, rather than release their oil and become soggy and rancid.
- Spread them out on a single layer of parchment or paper towel to absorb the excess moisture during the cooking.
- Microwave in 20-second intervals till you feel the fries have reached their desired level of crispness.
- Take them out, remove the paper towel and allow them to cool before eating.
Again the results may not be exactly, what you were expecting. Check out the other alternative methods below, which can actually guarantee crispy french fries each time
Alternative ways to reheat McDonald’s fries:
If you tried the above method and find that it doesn’t work for you, don’t panic.
You still can enjoy your leftover fries with one of these alternative methods but with better results guaranteed every time.
- Use an air fryer (psst, it uses a microwave too)
- Bake in an oven
- Heat on a stove-top.
- Fry them in oil again
Method 1 – Air frying:
Simple. Quick. Convenient.
Can be a bit drying, though, if not used correctly. But I’ve experimented enough to find a way to work around this as well.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Use your microwave to warm the french fries for 20 seconds with a moist paper towel draped over them.
- Remove the paper towel and spread the french fries out in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry them for 1-2 minutes. And you’re done.
- Allow them to cool for 30 seconds before serving.
My verdict: 9/10
While I personally love this way to reheat my leftover fries, the only downside is that I am limited by the size of my air fryer.
Doing large batches at a time can be time-consuming.
Method 2 – Oven-baked:
While air-frying is an efficient way to re-heat leftover fries it does possess a dilemma when you have a large batch that needs to be reheated quickly. This is where oven baking fries come in handy.
- Preheat the oven and the baking sheet to around 400-500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using oven mitts take out the baking sheet and spread out the french fries in a single layer. Pop it in the oven for 4-5 minutes.
- After 3-5 minutes in the oven, your french fries should be toasty and crispy from all sides, ready to eat. But wait, let them cool down first before diving in.
My verdict: 10/10.
The fries are perfectly crisp. There’s no rancid oil flavor. Bonus points for being able to do large batches at a time
Method 3 – Stove-top:
I find this method the easiest way for small batches because no preheating is involved. But you will need a heavy cast-iron skillet for this.
- Heat the empty skillet to medium-high first.
- Add room temperature (preferably) fries to the hot skillet in a single layer. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Cook them for roughly 3-4 minutes per side, flipping them over once they are done from one side.
Tip: You won’t need to add any extra oil in this method, because the heat from the skillet will draw out the oil already present in the french fries and use that to crisp them up.
My Verdict: 8/10
Stovetop reheating lost out on the two points only because you are limited by the size of your skillet.
Method 4 – Re-frying:
I know, I know you’re thinking if I had to fry fries, then why not do a batch of fresh french fries? But hear me out, re-frying is (sort of) not the same thing. Also it’s going to take a lot less time than frying up a new batch of french fries.
- Heat your oil: By How much? Well, that will depend on how many leftover fries you have. I would just eyeball it, enough for the fries to drown in it.
- Place them gently in when you feel the oil has heated up. And let them cook for roughly 2-3 minutes.
- Take the fries out on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the extra oil. Let them cool slightly before diving in.
If you feel the edges of the fries are starting to get brown, take them out immediately. They’ve spent too much time in the hot oil. Ideally leaving the fries in the oil for just a few minutes should be enough for them to crisp up.
The only drawback that I find with this method is that you are in a race against time because as the fries start to cool, you tend to feel the oiliness creeping back again.
My verdict: 2/10 (I gave it a two because the restored crispness was the only saving grace here)
What is the best way to store leftover McDonald’s fries?
That’s actually a pretty great question. Because how you choose to store your leftover fries makes a world of a difference when you reheat them.
Here’s a checklist of things to do:
- Make sure the french fries are at room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator
- Keep them in an airtight container.
- Line your container with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Spread out the french fries in a single layer and add a paper towel between each layer.
Tips when microwaving McDonald’s fries
There is more to just making sure that your McDonald’s fries are heated enough for you to enjoy at any time of the day. Of course, you need to make sure that you heat them properly in your microwave. However, you also need to see to it that you will be able to achieve the quality of a reheated McDonald’s fry that is somehow close to how you might expect a fry to taste and feel.
With that, here are some useful tips that can help you make sure can still be as good as it can be once it has been reheated in a microwave:
Store your leftover McDonald’s fries properly
You have to ensure that your McDonald’s fries are still good for reheating. This means that it still hasn’t gone bad or spoiled before you even have the chance to reheat it in your microwave.
The most effective and efficient way to make sure that you keep your leftover fries in good condition is by keeping them in an airtight container and putting it inside the refrigerator. This prevents it from being contaminated, and it can also allow you to still have good mcdonalds fries for at most 3 days.
If you don’t have an airtight container, then some plastic wrap or aluminum foil will do the trick. You just need to transfer your McDonalds chips into a bowl, or a plate, then cover it up with the plastic wrap or aluminum foil that you have. Don’t forget to put it in the refrigerator afterward.
Moreover, ensure you consume your leftover fries before they last longer than 5 days. You can still reheat them in your microwave if you don’t like eating them cold. However, your mcdonalds fries can still go bad after about 3 days even if you store them properly.
Use a microwave crisper tray
Simply reheating your McDonald’s fries in the microwave may not be enough to get them as crispy as they can. With that, you may want to consider using a microwave crisper tray to help you get better results. What this device does is that it helps you give your fries a crispier texture than what your normal microwavable container could’ve done.
You don’t need to worry about how it is used because it works very similarly to your common microwavable dish. You simply need to follow the same steps on how you should microwave your McDonald’s fries. The difference is that you just need to replace the tray or dish that contains your fries in the microwave with a microwave crisper tray. It’s as simple as that.
Make sure it is properly reheated
Before you even start putting your McDonald’s fries into the microwave, you must ensure they are at room temperature first. Never reheat your fries if they are just newly removed from the refrigerator. This is because the cold temperature will most likely give it much moisture once heated in the microwave. This will make your fries too soggy and probably make them taste bad.
With that, let your fries sit outside the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes before you microwave them. However, make sure that you will immediately heat and consume them afterward.
You should not let your leftover fries stay at room temperature for more than 4 hours. This is because it becomes more prone to contamination in this condition. This might cause your fries to quickly go bad and even spoiled.
On another note, always see to it that your fries have an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius after heating them. This is the right temperature for thoroughly heated food that is safe to eat.
Conclusion
I’m just going to come out and talk about the elephant in the room here. We all love our fast food, be it McDonald’s or any other brand. But fried food, especially fries, tastes best when they are fresh.
Their quality will start to degrade the longer they are stored, and it will become harder to restore their original taste. So it’s best to eat any leftover fries the very next day.
But if that’s not possible, then depending on the number of fries you have leftover, choose any of the reheating methods to enjoy them well after their prime.
FAQ
How do you reheat McDonald’s french fries?
Reheating McDonald’s french fries can be done in a toaster oven, air fryer, or microwave. To reheat the fries in a toaster oven, preheat it to 350°F and spread the fries out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. For an air fryer, set the temperature to 375°F and cook for 8-10 minutes. To reheat in the microwave, place your leftover fries on a microwave-safe plate and heat them up for 1-2 minutes.
Are leftover McDonald’s French Fries safe to eat?
Yes, leftover McDonald’s french fries are generally safe to eat as long as they have been stored correctly. Keep them refrigerated if possible and discard any that show signs of spoilage such as mold or discoloration. It is also important to make sure they are heated thoroughly before eating so they don’t cause food poisoning.
Can I make my own French Fries using vegetable oil?
Yes! Making homemade french fries is actually quite simple! All you need is some potatoes (sliced into strips), vegetable oil (for frying), salt & pepper (for seasoning) and a deep pot with enough oil for frying . Heat your oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F – 375°F then add your potato strips slowly so that the temperature doesn’t drop too much. Fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown then remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain off excess fat and season with salt & pepper before serving.
How can I avoid soggy French Fries when microwaving them?
Soggy french fries can be avoided by making sure that you are using a properly sized plate when microwaving them – smaller plates work better because there won’t be much excess space between each fry which will help prevent moisture build up leading to sogginess during cooking time. Additionally, you should always leave some space between your plate/container and the top of the microwave while cooking – this will allow steam or moisture particles released from the food escape instead of settling back onto it, resulting in soggy french fries!
What is the Best Way to Reheat Fries?
The best way to reheat fries depends on the type of fries being reheated – fast food or homemade – and the method of heating used (oven/microwave/air fryer). Generally speaking, using an air fryer gives crispy fried results, while microwaving keeps more of the original texture and flavor intact. Ovens tend to work well for larger batches of fries.
What are the benefits of using a convection oven to reheat french fries?
Using a convection oven to reheat french fries has several advantages over other methods. The hot air produced by the oven circulates around the food, resulting in an even temperature throughout that helps retain their flavor, color, and texture. Additionally, convection ovens are typically faster than traditional ovens, so your fries will be ready quicker.
Can I use any type of fry from McDonald’s (shoestring vs steak) when attempting to properly reheat French Fries?
Yes! Different types of McDonald’s fry will require different times for proper reheating — shoestring ones may need less time than thicker steak style cuts — but all types can be successfully warmed up using this method. If you’re not sure how long each type needs in the ovne for optimal results just keep an eye on them and take them out once they reach your desired level of crispness/warmth.
How to Reheat McDonalds Fries in an Oven?
To reheat McDonald’s fries in an oven, preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the fries on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until they are heated through. Flip them every few minutes to prevent burning. Once done, remove from oven and enjoy!
How to Reheat McDonald’s Nuggets?
To reheat McDonald’s nuggets, preheat your oven or air fryer to 375°F. Place the nuggets on a baking sheet or basket of your air fryer and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Make sure to shake/flip them halfway through cooking time so they heat evenly. Then enjoy!
How to Reheat McDonalds Fries Without an Air Fryer?
To reheat McDonald’s fries without an air fryer, preheat your oven or use a microwave safe dish and cover with damp paper towels if microwaving – either way should be set at 375°F (190°C). Place the fries on a baking sheet or microwave safe dish and cook according 10-12 minutes until they are thoroughly heated up (longer if microwaving). Enjoy when ready!